I work with many clients building large homes that include rooms to organize their lifestyles. This sometimes includes a craft room. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a room set aside for all of the crafting items we have tucked away in boxes in our closets! Especially this time of year when we could organize all of the wrapping paper, sheets of colored tissue, ribbons, bows, gift tags and greeting cards.
Let me share with you a few ideas that can help organize your gift wrapping goods to help make it easier use when needed.
First some easy solutions.
Gather and declutter: Start by collecting all your wrapping supplies in one place. Discard any ripped paper or short ribbon scraps that are no longer usable.
Centralize supplies: Store all items (paper, ribbons, tape, scissors, tags) together in one designated area, like a closet, a specific drawer, or a mobile cart, to create a functional “gift wrap station.”
Use clear containers: Opt for clear storage bins or containers so you can easily see the contents without having to open every box.
Label everything: Clearly label containers by occasion, color, or item type (e.g., “Christmas paper,” “birthday ribbons”) to save time searching.
Diving deeper, may I can suggest organizing your ribbons. You can stack them on a paper towel holder. You might have to cut the hole a little larger, but this keeps these rolls from getting shifted around in a drawer or a box.
Some people like to tie multiple ribbons around a package. You could build a simple wooden piece with a horizontal dowel or use a horizontal countertop paper towel holder where these ribbons could be placed horizontally where you can pull one or more ribbons at the same time. They will unroll easy as they unfurl around the dowel.
Rolls of wrapping paper are hard to store and the tubes can easily be crushed. Take an inexpensive plastic shoe organizer that hangs on the back of a door. If you cut the bottom out across several consecutive shoe holders, you can thread the rolls of paper down from the top. It will rest into the lower one you did not cut. You can use some of the other shoe pockets to hold spools of ribbon, bows, tissue, gift tags and even greeting cards. Once placed behind a closet door, these goods are hidden, yet at your fingertips when needed. And neatly stored they are!
Under bed bins can hold long tubes of wrapping paper also.
Prevent unrolling: Secure each roll with a rubber band, a slap bracelet, a hair tie, or a simple paper clip to keep it from unraveling and becoming messy.
